Exercise Machine with Analysis System

ABSTRACT

An exercise machine includes a motor that drives a belt to move, and an analysis system to collect a peak energy from the motor and to convert the peak energy into different user exercising data.

CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation application that claims priority to U.S.non-provisional application Ser. No. 15/339,905, filed Oct. 31, 2016,which is a non-provisional application that claims priority to U.S.provisional application, application No. 62/245,294, filed Oct. 23,2015, the entire contents of each of which are expressly incorporatedherein by reference.

NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to any reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as itappears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent files orrecords, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Field of Invention

The present invention relates to an exercise machine, and moreparticularly to an exercise machine with analysis system to convertsignals into user exercise results data.

Description of Related Arts

A conventional exercise machine, such as a treadmill, usually comprisesa running platform for the user walking or running thereon, wherein therunning platform is configured to have a conveyor belt. People tend towalk or run on the conveyor belt of the treadmills to not only keeptheir shapes but also to get a cardio workout. While the users arewalking and running on the conveyor belt, the users can set the speedand personal data, such as personal weights and heights, to thetreadmill via a control module. Through the control module, theconventional treadmills can calculate exercise results, such as thecalories lose or walking/running distance, based on the pre-set speedand personal information. However, the conventional treadmills haveseveral drawbacks.

The exercise results provided by the conventional treadmills areimprecise. Most of the users cannot completely follow the speed of theconveyor belt, and when the users lose their balance on the conveyorbelt or even if they are no longer walking or running thereon, theconventional treadmills cannot detect that. Therefore, the exerciseresults are usually non-objective, and not in a real time manner.

In addition, additional detection devices are able to incorporate withthe conventional treadmill in order to provide more analysis functions,wherein the detection devices can be wearable devices worn on anyportion of the user's bodies, such as smart phones or PDAs. Thedetection devices can be wirelessly connected with the conventionaltreadmills and provide step count functions, and further provide moreaccuracy exercise results, such as calories lose, walking/running speed,heart rate, walking/running distance, and so forth, so that the realtime exercise conditions of the users are detected by the wearabledevices. However, the detection devices are usually very expensive, andneed to be charged by and connected with an output device, such as acomputer, to display the exercise results, so that the users need tospend lots of times to obtain their exercise results. In addition, it isinconvenient and uncomfortable for the users to carry out the detectiondevices while they are walking or running on the exercise machine.Furthermore, once the users forget to bring their detection devices, theusers will lose changes to record their exercise results this time.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The invention is advantageous in that it provides an exercise machinewith an analysis system which can convert motor output signals intodifferent users' exercising data.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide an exercise machinewith an analysis system, wherein the analysis system comprises a controlmodule having a speed sensor to detect a speed of the userrunning/waling on an endless conveyor belt.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide an exercise machinewith an analysis system, wherein the control module can determine thepeak energy to a motor in order to drive the endless conveyor belt beingoperated at a constant speed in response to the dragging force thereat.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide an exercise machinewith an analysis system, wherein the analysis system comprises a weightanalysis module and a user identification module linked with the weightanalysis module, so that the weight analysis module can identify theuser weight and the user identification module can identify which useris running/walking on the endless conveyor belt.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide an exercise machinewith an analysis system, wherein the analysis system comprises a balanceanalysis module adapted to measure the balance between the right footand left foot of the user at each step on the belt.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide an exercise machinewith an analysis system, wherein the analysis system comprises adistance analysis module to calculate the total distance of the userrunning/walking on the endless conveyor belt.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide an exercise machinewith an analysis system, wherein the analysis system comprises a stepanalysis module to calculate total number of steps of the userrunning/walking on the endless conveyor belt.

Another advantage of the invention is to provide an exercise machinewith an analysis system, wherein the analysis system comprises a recordmodule wirelessly and selectively linked with a cloud module and anelectronic device to transmit the exercise results data to the cloud andthe electronic device, and then the exercise result data can beprocessed by process software of the cloud module and the electronicdevice.

Additional advantages and features of the invention will become apparentfrom the description which follows, and may be realized by means of theinstrumentalities and combinations particular point out in the appendedclaims.

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects andadvantages are attained by an exercise machine with an analysis system,comprising:

a machine body; and

a control module having a speed sensor operatively linked with themachine body to convert signals into different user exercise resultdata.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from aconsideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed description,the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exercise machine with analysis systemaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description is disclosed to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the present invention. Preferred embodiments areprovided in the following description only as examples and modificationswill be apparent to those skilled in the art. The general principlesdefined in the following description would be applied to otherembodiments, alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and applicationswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, an exercise machine according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein auser is able to run or walk on the exercise machine of the presentinvention as a treadmill. The exercise machine comprises a machine body10 and an analysis system 20.

The machine body 10 generally comprises a control panel 13, a motor 11,and a running track operatively connected with the motor 11. Accordingto the preferred embodiment, the running track is designed as an endlessconveyor belt 12 operatively connected with the motor 11, wherein themotor 11 is able to generate a rotational power to transmit to theendless conveyor belt 12 in order to drive the endless conveyor belt 12to move. The control panel 13 can adjustably set the rotational power ofthe motor 11 to maintain a constant speed for the endless conveyor belt12. The user is able to run or walk on the endless conveyor belt 12 todo the exercise and maintain the cardio workout.

The analysis system 20 comprises a control module 21 which comprises anspeed sensor 211 operatively linked with the motor 11, the endlessconveyor belt 12 and the control panel 13, and an analysis module 23operatively linked with the control module 21. The speed sensor 211 isarranged for detecting the speed of the endless conveyor belt 12 togenerate a real time signal in a real time manner, and the real timesignal generated by the speed sensor 211 is arranged to identify thecurrent speed of the endless conveyor belt 12.

It is worth mentioning that the control panel 13 can send a pre-setspeed signal to the motor 11 to generate the start the movement of theendless conveyor belt 12 based on the pre-set speed signal. The motor 11will generate an initial energy to drive the endless conveyor belt 12 atthe constant speed. Once the endless conveyor belt 12 is activated tomove at the desired constant speed, the motor 11 will be stayed at anidle position for generating the constant initial energy to maintain therotational power so as to maintain the endless conveyor belt 12 at theconstant speed. It is worth mentioning that the motor 11 at the idleposition refers to the endless conveyor belt 12 at the constant speedwithout the user running or walking on the endless conveyor belt 12 atthe constant speed.

However, while the user is walking/running on the endless conveyor belt12, each step of the user will generate a stopping force or a draggingforce to decrease the speed of the endless conveyor belt 12. Then, themotor 11 requires consuming a peak energy to drag the endless conveyorbelt 12 to move for maintaining the endless conveyor belt 12 at thepre-set constant speed.

Accordingly, the control module 21 further comprises an energyconsumption module 22 to determine a value of the peak energy from themotor 11, so that the real-time speed signal and the pre-set speedsignal are transmitted and collected to the energy consumption module22. Preferably, the real time signal is detected by the speed sensor 211in 1/10 second, so that while a value of the real time signal is belowto that of the pre-set speed signal, the control module 21 is noticed bythe energy consumption module 22 to determine how much peak energy themotor 11 needed to be generated to maintain the endless conveyor board12 at the pre-set constant speed by the peak energy all the time. Inother words, the peak energy is an additional energy added to theinitial energy of the motor 11 because the motor 11 requires more energyto drag the endless conveyor belt 12 to move at the pre-set constantspeed when the user runs or steps on the endless conveyor belt 12.

It is worth mentioning that the energy consumption module 22 can convertthe peak energy from the motor 11 into other energy form, such ascalories, such that the energy consumption module 22 can calculate howmuch calories the user burnt in response to the peak energy.

The value of the real-time speed signal and the value of the pre-setspeed signal, are collected by the control module 21, and then thecontrol module 21 will generate a feedback signal based on the value ofthe real-time speed signal and the value of the pre-set speed signal,wherein the feedback signal is transmitted to the analysis module 23.

It is worth mentioning that each step of the user can also be detectedby the speed sensor 211 as the detection of the dragging force on theendless conveyor belt 12, such that the each step of the user provides astep signal to the speed sensor 211, and the speed sensor 211 will becollected together to combine with the feedback signal. In other words,the feedback signal includes a frequency of the step signal and a valueof each step signal. In addition, the step signals are transmitted tothe speed sensor 211 under a pattern, wherein while the right foot ofthe user steps on the endless conveyor belt 12, the step signal will begenerated from the endless conveyor belt 12 to the speed sensor 211, andcontinuously the left foot of the user steps on the endless conveyorbelt 12, another step signal will be generated from the endless conveyorbelt 12 to the speed sensor 211. Therefore, the frequency of the speedsignal is defined by a frequency of the steps provided by the user'sright and left feet.

The analysis module 23 comprises a step analysis module 24, a weightanalysis module 25, a distance analysis module 26, a balance analysismodule 27, and a user identification module 28.

The step analysis module 24 is adapted to calculate total number ofsteps provided by the user, wherein the number of the step signal can becollected and calculated by the step analysis module 24. Each stepsignal is calculated to be a step, so a total number of step signals canbe calculated as a total number of steps provided by the user. Inaddition, the step analysis module 24 can calculate total number ofsteps within a period of time. It is worth mentioning that the systemwill detect the foot falls on the machine body 10, via the step analysismodule 24, to verify that the user is running on a treadmill, as anexample. The verification can be sent directly to a could module 30and/or sent to the electronic device 31, such as the smart phone orsmart device, which then sends to the cloud module 30.

The balance analysis module 26 is arranged to measure a value of weightprovided by each step of the user's right and left feet, wherein thestep signal from each step includes the value of each step signal, sothat the value of the step signal can be calculated to be the amount offorces provided by the user's right and left feet for the step balancinganalysis. In other words, if the value of one of the step signal islarger than that of the continuous step signal, it can be determinedthat the right foot and the left foot of the user is in a un-balancesituation, so the user can use this result to modify his/her workouthabit.

The weight analysis module 25 is arranged to calculate a weight of eachuser, and the weight analysis module 25 is linked with the useridentification module 28, and the weight of the user can be determinedby feedback signal. For example, while a user is walking and running onthe endless conveyor belt 12, the weight of the user can be determinedby the weight analysis module 25, and then the user can name the name ofthe user based on the weight of the user through the control panel 13 ofthe machine body 10, such that the weight of the user is 120 lb, andnamed as “User 1”. And, while another user is running/walking on theendless conveyor belt 12, the weight of the user is determined as 140lb, and named as “User 2”. Furthermore, the user identification module28 is able to determine the user based on the weight of the user.According to the above mentioned example, while the “User 1” isrunning/walking on the endless conveyor belt 12, the weight of the usercan be calculated based on the feedback signal, so if the weight ismeasured as “120 lb”, the user identification module 28 willautomatically identify that the user is “User 1”. In other words, whilethe weight if the user is measured as “140 lb”, the user is identifiedas “User 2”.

It is worth to mentioning that the weight of the user is determined bythe peak energy collected by the control module 21 and the speed of theuser. The following equation is used to determine the kinetic energy ofthe object (user):

E _(k)=½mV ²

E^(k): kinetic energy of an object (Joules)

M: Mass (kg)

V: velocity (m/s)

According to the above mentioned equation, E_(k) is the peak energy fromthe motor 11 to the endless conveyor belt 12, and V is the speed of theuser running or walking on the endless conveyor belt 12, so that M(mass/weight) of the user can be calculated through the above equation.Therefore, the user identification module 28 can identify which user iswalking or running on the endless conveyor belt 12.

The distance analysis module 26 is able to calculate total distance forthe user while he/she is running/walking on the conveyor belt 12. Sincethe equation for calculating the distance of a moving object is:

Distance=average velocity×time

Accordingly, the average velocity of the user can be determined by thespeed sensor 211 of the control module 21, so that the distance of theuser who is running/walking on the endless conveyor belt 12 within aperiod of time can be calculated.

It is worth mentioning that the analysis system 20 further comprises arecord module 29 linked with the analysis module 23 to record exerciseresult data. The analysis module 23 can generate an exercise resultsignal, which includes total steps of the user running/walking on theendless conveyor belt 12 within a period of time, balance analysisresults between the user's right and left foot, weights and useridentification results of each user, and total distance while the userrunning/walking on the endless conveyor belt 12 within a period of time.

In addition, the record module 29 is wireless linked to the cloud module30 and an electronic device 31, so that the exercise result data can betransmitted to the cloud module 30 or the electronic device 31, and thecloud module 30 and the electronic device 31 comprises built-in softwareto analysis and process the exercise result data. For example, thebuilt-in software can process to exercise result data into various kindsof graphs, tables, or charts, so that the users can review theirexercise results anytime via the cloud module 30 or the electronicdevice 31 all the time.

It is worth mentioning that the record module 29 can be operativelylinked with a control panel 13. Preferably, the control panel comprisesa display screen 131, which can be a touch screen, to display theexercise results, so that the users can review the exercise resultsdirectly through the display screen 131 of the control panel 13. Inother words, the exercise records saved into the cloud module 30 and theelectronic device 31 also can be read by the display screen 131 throughthe record module 29.

The present invention further provides an energy analyzing method for atreadmill, which comprises the following steps.

(1) Collect the peak energy from the motor 11 of the treadmill inresponse to the dragging force on the endless conveyor belt 12. The peakenergy collection comprises the following steps.

(1.1) Determine the initial energy from the motor 11 to maintain theendless conveyor belt 12 at the constant speed when the motor 11 is inthe idle position.

(1.2) Determine the additional energy from the motor 11 to maintain theendless conveyor belt 12 at the constant speed when the dragging forceis applied on the endless conveyor belt 12, wherein the additionalenergy from the motor 11 is the peak energy.

(2) Analyze the peak energy to convert the peak energy into differentexercising data. The exercising data can be the energy consumption ofthe user in form of calories, the number of steps, the step balancinganalysis, the weight analysis, and/or the user weight identification.

Accordingly, the analysis system 20 can be installed in various kinds ofexercise machines, not only limited to the treadmill. In particular, theanalysis system 20 can be installed into any existing treadmill havingthe motor and endless conveyor belt, or can be built-in with anytreadmill. The analysis system 20 can be installed into a stationarybike, wherein the analysis system 20 can perform the same function asthat the analysis system 20 is installed into the treadmill. In otherwords, the analysis system 20 can be installed in any kinds of exercisemachine to provide exercise analysis function.

One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of thepresent invention as shown in the drawings and described above isexemplary only and not intended to be limiting.

It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have beenfully and effectively accomplished. The embodiments have been shown anddescribed for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structuralprinciples of the present invention and is subject to change withoutdeparture from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes allmodifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercise machine, comprising: a machine bodywhich comprises a belt for being moved by a user during workout togenerate a dragging force, and a motor operatively linked to said belt,wherein said belt is maintained at a constant speed by said motor; andan analysis system which comprises: a control module which collects apeak energy from said motor in response to said dragging force on saidbelt; and an analysis module which analyzes said peak energy andconverts said peak energy into an energy consumption data, wherein saidanalysis system comprises an energy consumption module that determines avalue of said peak energy from said motor and converts said peak energyfrom said motor for calculating how much calories the user burnt inresponse to said peak energy.
 2. The exercise machine, as recited inclaim 1, wherein said motor generates an initial energy to said belt inorder to maintain said belt at said constant speed, wherein said motoris in an idle position when said belt is maintained at said constantspeed, wherein said peak energy is an additional energy from said motorto maintain said belt at said constant speed when said dragging force isapplied on said belt additionally to said initial energy from said motorto maintain said belt at said constant speed when said motor is in saididle position.
 3. The exercise machine, as recited in claim 2, whereinsaid control module further comprises a speed sensor operatively linkedto said belt, wherein said speed sensor detects a speed of said belt togenerate a pre-set speed signal of said belt in response to the speed ofsaid belt powered by said initial energy of said motor and to generate areal time speed signal in response to the speed of said belt with saiddragging force applied thereon.
 4. The exercise machine, as recited inclaim 1, wherein said control module further comprises a speed sensoroperatively linked to said belt for detecting each step of the user as adetection of said dragging force on said belt, wherein said speed sensorcollects a step signal from each step of the user and combine said stepsignals to a feedback signal, such that said feedback signal includes afrequency of said step signal and a value of each step signal, wherein afrequency of a speed signal is defined by a frequency of the stepsprovided by the user's right and left feet.
 5. The exercise machine, asrecited in claim 2, wherein said control module further comprises aspeed sensor operatively linked to said belt for detecting each step ofthe user as a detection of said dragging force on said belt, whereinsaid speed sensor collects a step signal from each step of the user andcombine said step signals to a feedback signal, such that said feedbacksignal includes a frequency of said step signal and a value of each stepsignal, wherein a frequency of a speed signal is defined by a frequencyof the steps provided by the user's right and left feet.
 6. The exercisemachine, as recited in claim 4, wherein said analysis system furthercomprises a step analysis module that calculates total number of stepswithin a period of time in response to said step signal.
 7. The exercisemachine, as recited in claim 5, wherein said analysis system furthercomprises a step analysis module that calculates total number of stepswithin a period of time in response to said step signal.
 8. The exercisemachine, as recited in claim 4, wherein said analysis system furthercomprises a balance analysis module that measures a value of weightprovided by each step of the user's right and left feet, wherein saidstep signal from each step includes the value of each step signal, sothat the values of said step signal are calculated to be an amount offorces provided by the user's right and left feet.
 9. The exercisemachine, as recited in claim 5, wherein said analysis system furthercomprises a balance analysis module that measures a value of weightprovided by each step of the user's right and left feet, wherein saidstep signal from each step includes the value of each step signal, sothat the values of said step signal are calculated to be an amount offorces provided by the user's right and left feet.
 10. The exercisemachine, as recited in claim 5, wherein said analysis system furthercomprises a weight analysis module that calculates a weight of said user11. The exercise machine, as recited in claim 5, wherein said analysissystem further comprises a user identification module that identifiesthe user by a weight of said user.
 12. The exercise machine, as recitedin claim 2, wherein said analysis system further comprises a distanceanalysis module that determines a distance of the user running/walkingon said belt within a period of time.
 13. The exercise machine, asrecited in claim 2, wherein said analysis system further comprises arecord module that records said exercising data and a cloud modulewirelessly linked to said record module for storing said exercising datain said cloud module.
 14. An exercise machine, comprising: a machinebody which comprises a belt for being moved by a user during workout togenerate a dragging force, and a motor operatively linked to said belt,wherein said belt is maintained at a constant speed by said motor; andan analysis system which comprises a control module which collects apeak energy from said motor in response to said dragging force on saidbelt, wherein said control module comprises a speed sensor operativelylinked to said belt for detecting each step of the user as a detectionof said dragging force on said belt, wherein said speed sensor collectsa step signal from each step of the user and combine said step signalsto a feedback signal, such that said feedback signal includes afrequency of said step signal and a value of each step signal, wherein afrequency of a speed signal is defined by a frequency of the stepsprovided by the user's right and left feet.
 15. The exercise machine, asrecited in claim 14, wherein said motor generates an initial energy tosaid belt in order to maintain said belt at said constant speed, whereinsaid motor is in an idle position when said belt is maintained at saidconstant speed, wherein said peak energy is an additional energy fromsaid motor to maintain said belt at said constant speed when saiddragging force is applied on said belt additionally to said initialenergy from said motor to maintain said belt at said constant speed whensaid motor is in said idle position.
 16. The exercise machine, asrecited in claim 15, wherein said analysis system further comprises astep analysis module that calculates total number of steps within aperiod of time in response to said step signal.
 17. The exercisemachine, as recited in claim 16, wherein said analysis system furthercomprises a balance analysis module that measures a value of weightprovided by each step of the user's right and left feet, wherein saidstep signal from each step includes the value of each step signal, sothat the values of said step signal are calculated to be an amount offorces provided by the user's right and left feet.
 18. The exercisemachine, as recited in claim 16, wherein said analysis system furthercomprises a weight analysis module that calculates a weight of said user19. The exercise machine, as recited in claim 16, wherein said analysissystem further comprises a user identification module that identifiesthe user by a weight of said user.
 20. The exercise machine, as recitedin claim 16, wherein said analysis system further comprises a distanceanalysis module that determines a distance of the user running/walkingon said belt within a period of time.